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Chronic bad breath can negatively affect you in social and professional situations. Unfortunately, we do not always know if we even have bad breath. So, how do we tell? Here are a few ways:

1. If you usually have a white or yellow coating on your tongue, especially on the posterior part (back), this can indicate that you may have the bacteria that causes bad breath. Try scraping that part of your tongue.

Also, you can lick your wrist, and wait five seconds for it to dry. Smell the odor on your wrist, and that is what your breath smells like to others.

2. Often if you have bad tastes inside your mouth, your breath is probably just as bad.

3. Another way to tell is if people back away from you as you talk.

4. People offer you mints, breath strips or chewing gum.

5. Your significant other doesn’t want to kiss you.

What are some ways to stop bad breath from happening?

1. Improve your oral hygiene, and definitely maintain it. Also, don’t just brush your teeth, but also floss and use oral rinse for the best results.

2. Drink plenty of fluids (especially water), but do not drink a lot of coffee and alcohol as these can leave residues that may create worse bad breath.

3. Eat foods high in fiber as they are very good for your oral health and general wellbeing.

4. Try to brush your teeth, tongue, and gums immediately after eating dairy foods, fish, and meat because these foods are very heavy on smell.

5. When brushing your teeth, make sure to brush your tongue (especially the posterior where the bacteria thrive).